Methodology to Interview Respondents To Assess the BDS Market for the Leather Sub-Sector, Rajasthan, India. By Ashok Kumar

Transcription

1 Methodology to Interview Respondents To Assess the BDS Market for the Leather Sub-Sector, Rajasthan, India By Ashok Kumar March 2003 EDA Rural Systems Pvt Ltd Gurgaon, India

2 This document attempts to describe the methodologies/processes and steps that EDA used to interview respondents to assess the BDS market for the leather sub-sector in Rajasthan. The BDS market assessment primarily focused on the services for artisans involved in leather jooti production and leather goods production. The following paragraphs briefly describe the overall methodology for assessing the BDS market followed by more description on the methodologies adopted to obtain information from respondents BDS suppliers and users. 1. Steps involved. The following steps, in sequence, were involved in assessing the BDS market: Development of a checklist of questions for interviewing artisans to understand BDS services and markets from artisan s point of view. Development of a checklist of questions for interviewing BDS providers to understand the BDS supply and BDS markets from the provider point of view. Testing the respective checklists of questions with a small number of respondents artisans from a number of villages where they undertake the jooti and leather goods production activity and a sample of BDS providers. Based on the lessons learned and experience during the testing phase, development of suitable questions and a method to interview and ask questions. A detailed survey related to the BDS demand and supply: Interview with individual artisans FGDs with a group of artisans Interview with individual BDS suppliers. 1.1 Development of a checklist of questions for interviewing artisans. A checklist of questions was developed based on our existing understanding about the BDS field and its various components/aspects. The checklist of questions included questions on the following: Different BDS/service that an artisan obtains Suppliers for those services Costs they pay for these services Delivery mechanisms of these services Quality of these services based on their perceptions Features they would like have in services This checklist provided a guide and enabled us to ask related questions to a specific component/aspect of the BDS field. 1.2 Development of a checklist of questions for interviewing BDS providers. Similar to the checklist of questions related to artisans, a checklist of questions for BDS suppliers was developed. The checklist of questions included questions on the following: Types of BDS supplied Delivery mechanism of these services Fee based service or subsidized or embedded 2

3 In-house capacity to improve the quality of services This checklist provided a guide and enabled us to ask related questions to a specific component/aspect of the BDS field. 1.3 Testing the respective checklists of questions with a small number of respondents from each category and development of appropriate questions artisans from a number of villages where they undertake the jooti and leather goods production activity and a sample of BDS providers were covered. The above two checklists of questions for artisans and BDS providers were tested with a small sample of respondents from each category. The objective of the testing exercise was to frame appropriate questions that respondents could understand and relate to their business activity and situation. This testing exercise provided insight into the level of understanding of both types of respondents. In addition, the testing exercise gave some insights on how the interview should be conducted; what should be the sequence of questions and how to entice respondents to answer the questions. 1.4 Based on the lessons learned and experience during the testing phase, suitable questions and methods to interview and ask questions were developed. With this developed understanding, suitable questions were framed with the objective that they could easily be comprehended and understood by respondents and that appropriate responses on these questions could be obtained. In a number of occasions interviewers tried to give appropriate examples so that respondents could relate questions to their actual business activity and situations. These questions are discussed at a later stage. 1.5 A detailed survey for the BDS demand and supply assessment Phase 1: Artisans views of business services and markets. The first phase of the assessment involved the interviews with artisans producing jootis and leather goods. These artisans are very low-income micro entrepreneurs living in rural villages, usually with 2-5 workers. The exploratory method was used to ask questions to respondents mainly to obtain qualitative information about BDS and their businesses. The following steps, in sequence, were used: Asked questions related to basics of their enterprises. This included questions on methods for raw material procurement, production process, buyers and markets for finished goods, number of workers, capital employed in the enterprise, working capital requirements, tangible and intangible services they obtain from different sources. Helped artisans to identify all the possible business relationships they utilize for different activities related to their enterprises. Most of the respondents were able to identify business relationships with obvious and evident stakeholders/people, for example raw material suppliers, buyers and accessory suppliers. These are the stakeholders with whom an artisan interacts on a regular basis. Although these 3

4 artisans were able to identify these obvious relationships, they were not initially able to identify relationships with other stakeholders who interact in the process. These stakeholders include government institutions like RUDA, DIC, trainers, KVIC, in a majority of cases even with accessory suppliers, people providing repairing and maintenance services related to tools and equipment used in the production process, fellow artisans, relatives and friends involved with the production of similar products, local marketing agents and NGOs. Respondents were helped to identify these relationships by posing questions such as: Who do you approach when you need assistance related to marketing, skill upgradation, and information on designs, exhibitions and fairs? Who do you approach when you want to obtain loans for the enterprise? Who do you approach when there is need for suitable lasts for jooti production? These questions helped artisans to identify most of the relationships that they have for their business enterprise. Efforts were made by the interviewers to use terminologies that could easily be understood by respondents. The following table indicates some of the terms and sentences (used in Hindi language) that were used for some of the BDS field terminology. Term used in the BDS field Business development services BDS suppliers providing BDS in embedded forms Terms used by the interviewers Information, inputs, suggestions, guidance, information useful for improving designs, information on new designs, markets, buyers, information on improved production process, machinery that could be used, information on obtaining bank loans and on related procedures When you buy leather from traders do they provide you any information (say for which additional products this leather could be used)? Is the information useful for your business? Explored each business relationship in detail. After identifying each business relationship an artisan has with a number of stakeholders, the discussion was focused on understanding each relationship in detail and efforts were made to understand what kind of products and services are transacted in those relationships. Artisans mentioned that they buy different kinds of leather from raw material suppliers, they sell finished goods to buyers in haat or to retailers and wholesalers, they buy accessories from accessory suppliers, and they sell finished goods to village level market agents. In the majority of cases, respondents identified very obvious products and services in these relationships. The interviewers helped respondents to think about other things in the form of information, guidance, inputs that they receive from the stakeholders in the business relationships. This help by the interviewers was provided to respondents during the discussion on the first business relationship. In some circumstances, the interviewers gave appropriate examples to enable artisans to identify possible BDS that respondents obtain from these business relationships. For example: Do village level agents who buy final products from you provide some information and guidance on improving designs of jooti? 4

5 If village level agents provide you the information on design, how do they provide the information? Do the retailers to whom you sell your products provide any information on latest market trend for footwear? Do accessory suppliers provide you with information on other substitutes that could possibly be used in jooti production? Do raw material suppliers show you different kinds of leather that could be used in jooti production and provide related information? With the help of these examples, respondents were able to relate this understanding while discussing further business relationships and identifying BDS they receive through those business relationships. This methodology helped the interviewers to understand different kinds of BDS that are offered, mostly in embedded or hidden form to artisans through a number of business relationships. This approach was very useful in understanding BDS that are offered to artisans in an embedded form. A lot of information on stand-alone BDS was also obtained mainly through artisans relationships with government agencies, NGOs and institutions involved with the sub-sector. Respondents were able to list most of the BDS in the different forms that they receive from these business relationships once they were helped in identifying BDS in the first business relationship. In order to understand the factors that have contributed to their business and income growth over a period of time, the following questions were asked: How did your business grow over the period of the last 5 years? (If a respondent has been in the business for say 5 years). What inputs and in which way did you get the assistance and guidance to improve and expand your business? Responses to these questions gave an in-depth understanding of services that have had a significant impact on his business. Development of a list of BDS and prioritizing them based on their importance to respondents enterprises. With the help of the above, it was possible to develop a list of various BDS that a respondent obtains from these relationships. The artisan was asked and was able to prioritize these BDS based on their importance to the business. The prioritization of BDS by respondents from different villages varied and depended on a number of factors including kinds of jooti made, the level of market understanding of artisans, and the market and buyers for jootis. An attempt was made to understand the reasons behind the prioritization artisans in most of the cases were able to provide the reason for the prioritization. By this time the context was set and other information on different aspects of BDS was obtained. Some of the aspects on which information was obtained included: Modes of BDS delivery Payments for these BDS Information on how respondents feel about the quality of services 5

6 What improvements could be made in quality and delivery mechanisms of a BDS Respondents willingness to pay fees for BDS Appropriate questions were developed and asked to respondents to obtain responses on the above aspects. On a number of occasions, appropriate examples were developed and given to respondents so that they can easily relate our questions and respond to our questions relating to their business contexts. The questions and examples are mentioned below. Aspects Questions asked Information on modes of delivery Is a BDS (e.g. information on designs) offered to you by a supplier/institutions on an individual basis or in a group basis? Is there a training program on the leather goods production or betterdesigned jootis by say RUDA offered in your village/other villages or in some training centers in Jaipur city or other cities? Payments for BDS Does RUDA charge you a separate fee for providing you information on exhibitions, inviting you to participate in an exhibition, providing information on designs, and for asking you to attend a training program on leather goods production and better designed jootis? Does RUDA provide you something free of costs during the exhibition (e.g. stall, travel cost to the venue of the exhibition), training program (e.g. some tools and equipment, stipend, raw materials to be used during the training program)? Do wholesalers and retailers charge you a separate fee for providing you information and inputs on design? Information on quality of services Are you satisfied with the quality of a BDS (e.g. the training program on mojari jooti)? If yes/no why? Does the training program meet your requirements for skill development? Have the training program improved your skills adequately and are you able to produce these goods after the training? Improvements in quality and delivery mechanisms of a BDS Willingness to pay fees for BDS How should a training program on leather goods production be conducted? What aspects would you like to be included in such training programs? On which products should the skills be taught? Where/when and for what duration should these training programs be organized? Would you like to receive any other services after these training programs? If yes, what services would you like to receive? What information would you like have on markets and design inputs and raw material supply? In which manner would you like to receive these services either at the village level or at some other centers; either on an individual basis or in a group? If suppliers provide services of your requirements to you; would you be willing to pay a fee? Would you pay for a training program on skill enhancement that would enable you to produce leather goods that have a demand potential? (Assuming that a trainer organizes the training and this training suits you in terms of timing and duration and you do not lose your income significantly due to involvement in the training). 6

7 As indicated above, a few examples were also given to enable respondents to relate to their business context while responding to questions related to willingness to pay. Since a number of BDS (including training for skill enhancement, design inputs and information on exhibitions and buyers) are provided by government agencies, such as RUDA and DIC, with significant cost subsidizations, respondents were often unable to think that these services could be obtained by paying a fee. In order to broaden their perspective on the issue of payment of fees for these services, the following examples were given so that artisans could provide a true response based on the understanding. Examples In order to ensure quality education for your children where would you prefer to send them? A government school that is cheaper but the quality of education is perceived to be below average or to a more expensive private school with a perceived higher quality of education? Most of the responses were that they would like to send their children to a private school. When you or your family members become sick, where do you prefer to go for a treatment? A government hospital with cheaper fees but poorer medical service or to a more expensive private hospital with a higher quality of treatment? Most of the responses were that they would prefer a private hospital. In the same way, if a supplier provided BDS type training, design inputs, marketing support of higher quality that would yield desired results, would you be willing to pay a fee for this service? In most of the cases, respondents mentioned that they would be willing to pay a fee for such services. They further mentioned that these services would increase their incomes and they would not mind paying a fee for such services. Duration of individual interview In a village, individual interviews with the first few artisans (about 3-4) took about 2-3 hours, including information about the basics of the enterprise. In a village, the business practices adopted by almost all the artisans are more or less same, therefore in subsequent individual interviews with artisan, questions related to the basics of the enterprise were skipped. This methodology shortened the overall time per interview to hours. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with artisans. In each village, one FGD with some of the respondents from the interviews was conducted. These FGDs were held soon after the interviews often the same day. This helped the respondents to be warmed-up and ready to discuss BDS in a more exploratory way in the FGDs. The group discussions mainly focused on specific aspects, like different kinds of services they would like to obtain, modes of delivery of different BDS and willingness to pay fees for these services. 7

8 Aspects kept in mind while interviewing artisans While interviewing artisans, we tried to make it clear to them that we are not here to provide any monetary benefits. At the beginning of an interview, therefore, we indicated that we are researching a suitable strategy for making effective interventions. If we are provided with inaccurate responses, it might lead to ineffective design of interventions, which might not yield the desired results. In some of the cases, while interacting with an individual respondent, other fellow artisans came and started giving their own perceptions and views hampering the interview process. In those situations, we politely indicated them that we would be interacting with them separately and in most of the cases they left allowing us to interview the respondents privately. In order to build the relationship with artisans and regard their feelings and ethics, the interviewers accepted a glass of water, tea and snacks offered to them Phase 2: Providers view of business services and markets. Phase 2 involved individual interviews with different types of stakeholders in the sub-sector including raw material and accessory suppliers, village level market agents providing market link support to artisans, retailers, wholesalers and exporters of finished products, government agencies involved with the promotion of the sub-sectors (RUDA, DIC, DC (H), banks, KVIC), NGOs in the area, tools and equipment suppliers and entrepreneurs providing repairing and maintenance services. BDS suppliers were divided into three categories: o Suppliers providing BDS in embedded form included raw material and accessory suppliers, retailers, wholesalers and exporters of finished goods and village level market agents o Suppliers providing BDS on a fee basis included tools and machinery suppliers, entrepreneurs providing repairing and maintenance services o Government and non-government organizations (institutions) providing services either in embedded or stand alone form included government agencies and other organizations. A separate checklist of questions for the respective category of suppliers was developed. The exploratory method was used to ask questions from respondents to obtain qualitative information about BDS and their businesses. Asked questions related to basics of their business. Questions were asked about their business activities and operations, their customers, methods and sources of procuring goods/products, number of workers in the enterprise, their involvement in the business activity and their links with other people in the sub-sector including forward linkages. Depending upon the categories of supplier in which they belonged, other applicable questions were asked. For example, during the interview with institutional suppliers, basic information, like their priority to serve leather artisans, geographical coverage, kinds of BDS they specifically offer to leather artisans and sources of funding for carrying out the activity of the institution, was obtained. 8

9 These questions were asked in a direct manner and the corresponding responses were obtained. Helped suppliers offering BDS in an embedded form to identify intangible services like information, guidance, inputs, and assistance they provide to artisans. Extra effort was made by the interviewers to obtain information on services that are provided in an embedded form by different BDS suppliers. The following table indicates the types of questions that were asked to obtain responses on various aspects of BDS. Supplier Aspects related to BDS Questions Leather supplier Information on other kinds of leather and their sources Do you show artisans a different kind of leather that he might not have bought previously from you? When you bring a lot of different leather pieces (rejects) for the first time, do you display this? If yes, how? Do artisans ask you about the places from where you buy leather? How do you reply to this question? Accessory suppliers Retailers/ wholesalers/ exporters and village level market agents Information on substitutes for raw materials Information on design and quality aspects Do you show artisans different kinds of substitutes that could be used in jooti/leather goods production? Do you add new items to your shops when you realize that leather artisans could possibly use them? What kind of information do you provide to leather artisans to reduce the cost of production? Do you provide information to artisans on new designs and suggestions on improving quality of jootis? If yes, what kinds of changes and improvements in jootis do you suggest? Have you shown a sample of a new kind of jootis to artisans and asked them to make produce such jootis? If you receive any feedback on design and quality of products from your final consumers, do you communicate and share it with artisans? How do you share the feedback with them? It was easier to obtain responses from institutional suppliers (government agencies) and also from suppliers who offered BDS for a fee. In most of the cases direct questions on various aspects of BDS supply were asked and responses on them were obtained. 1.6 Conclusions. The key elements of the approach that we used are as follows: Identification of the relationship (both obvious and not so obvious) artisans have with a number of people in the sub-sector for the business purpose. Exploring each business relationship in detail to understand both the demand and supply of BDS from BDS suppliers. Development of a set of BDS that are demanded and assessing their demand levels. 9

10 Understanding BDS demand and supply from the perspective of BDS suppliers. Relying more on qualitative information while interviewing artisans and BDS suppliers. Framing questions, which can be easily understood by respondents by avoiding the use of technical terms and jargons. Adopting a flexible approach to interview artisans and BDS suppliers by adapting to respondents awareness and understanding levels. Lessons learned from the approach are as follows: Both demand and supply of BDS can be understood from interviewing artisans. Helping artisans explore business relationships and subsequently exploring each business relationship in detail seem to be very useful in understanding embedded services and obtaining a number of important information. It seems useful to obtain as much as information from BDS users on various aspects when the market for the BDS is weak or highly subsidized. The information obtained during this phase can be used effectively while interviewing BDS suppliers in the second phase. Utilization of a flexible interviewing style can be useful in obtaining relevant information and generate interest among respondents. It seems more helpful to focus on qualitative information to understand a BDS market in detail. FGDs with artisans seem more effective after having the individual interview with artisans. Prior understanding of the sub-sector is helpful in assessing a BDS market. 10